Jordan Brand’s One Of One Campaign Party Had A Custom Sneaker Bar & Rare Air Jordan Merch

It takes a certain level of legitimacy to gather a crowd on an event-filled Saturday night in the middle of Fashion Week, but for Jordan Brand, that wasn’t a problem. On Sept. 7, Air Jordan took over an imperious-looking concrete building right next to Elsewhere in Bushwick to celebrate four different trailblazers: Chef Anya of Kit an’ Kin, designer Ev Bravado of Who Decides War, singer Talia Goddess, and photographer JD Barnes. The quartet were all in their one-of-one Air Jordan 1s designed by Bravado, as is befitting for the stars of Jordan’s “One Of One” campaign.

After riding the elevator up to the fifth floor, I was greeted by massive photos of the campaign, in a bold declaration of the diversity of talent drawn together by one legendary label. As singer Talia Goddess tells NYLON, “It's really validating and affirming to be recognized at such a large level by a brand I grew up respecting and admiring alongside other creatives that I respect and admire. It's like, d*mn, I am here.” There were site-specific installations honoring each of the participants: a floral arrangement and Dutch pot for Anya, a DJ booth for Talia, a projector for Barnes, and a custom sneaker workshop honoring Bravados’ signature distressing technique at his label, where fans and friends of the brand customized pairs.

The music hovered in the sweet spot between ambient and hype, as the party wasn’t a full-out rager, but rather a moment for celebration, as Chef Anya says: “It was a beautiful surprise to have my ancestors here with all of the Caribbean fruit that is so representative of what Kit an’ Kin is.” Shared plates of lamb chops (the unlikely hero of the night) and vegan curry were quickly snapped up by attendees, while four custom cocktails honoring the campaign stars flowed all night. The centerpiece of the party was a sandy installation displaying vintage Jordan merch and sneaks, some of which were older than the author of this article.

The campaign is all about embracing imperfections, which is as important to the process as wins. “The inspiration and confidence is seasonal, as is life,” says Barnes. “It's conducive to all creatives to embrace those moments of lower confidence. When I have done that, I'll be hit with inspiration from somewhere I didn't expect.” Overall, the four creatives find hope in the work that has yet to be done, as if 15-foot posters for a Jordan campaign were a starting point instead of an arrival. As Barnes told me as I was leaving, “Now I got to work with Jordan ten times, 100 times. Now we’ve got to be fam for real, on a first name basis, calling each other at 10 p.m. type sh*t.”